Summary: Today's program aired live from the Child Assessment Unit at Cambridge City Hospital...a unit that has eliminated its use of locked-door seclusion and virtually eliminated the use of physical and chemical restraint. There's a major initiative to eliminate the use of restraint and seclusion in our public schools, and the effort requires the same ingredients in a school as it does in a restrictive therapeutic facility. Restraining and secluding kids doesn't solve the problems or teach the lagging skills setting in motion challenging episodes, and doesn't keep staff or classmates safer. We've learned too much about why challenging kids are challenging -- and have alternative interventions that are far more humane and effective -- to continue using these archaic procedures. A must-listen program!
